Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev is scheduled to sign a $7 billion rail connectivity agreement with Pakistan during his visit on February 3, 2026, marking a major milestone in regional infrastructure and trade cooperation. The ambitious project is designed to link Pakistan with Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan, positioning Pakistan as a key transit hub for Central Asia and

China’s Vice Premier He Lifeng emphasized that China has never intended to maintain an excessively large trade surplus and aims to position itself as “the world’s market” to support global economic growth. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, He Lifeng stressed that China is ready to expand imports and purchase more goods from other countries, highlighting the country’s commitment to

Pakistan and Russia have reached an agreement to commence the revival and expansion of Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) in 2027, marking a significant step toward restoring one of Pakistan’s largest industrial assets. This development was shared with a parliamentary sub-committee that was reviewing the Ministry of Industries and Production’s Audit Report for 2019–20, highlighting the government’s

Gold prices have broken past the historic $5,000 per ounce mark for the first time, reflecting growing global uncertainty and investor caution. In early Asian trading, spot gold rose 1.79% to $5,071.96 per ounce, reaching an intraday high of $5,085.50, while US gold futures for February delivery climbed 1.79% to around $5,068.70 per ounce. This surge follows a 64% gain in 2025 and over 17%

The best business ideas in Pakistan for 2026 focus on low-risk, high-profit opportunities that match the country’s growing digital economy, renewable energy demand, and evolving market needs. Pakistan’s business landscape is expanding rapidly with internet usage above 45 percent, the rise of digital payments, government support for local manufacturing, increased freelancing opportunities, and

Pakistan received a total of Rs1,254 billion in external loans during the first half of the current fiscal year, marking a 29% increase, or Rs280 billion more, compared to the same period last year. During July to December, the country also secured Rs17.67 billion in grants, bringing total external financial assistance to Rs1,272 billion, equivalent to $4.5 billion, which is $904 million higher

Pakistan and Russia have agreed to target 2027 as the starting year for construction work on the revival and expansion of Pakistan Steel Mills, a parliamentary panel was informed. The update came during a meeting of a subcommittee of the Public Accounts Committee reviewing the Ministry of Industries and Production Audit Report for 2019–20, chaired by Convener Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry.

The Pakistani rupee (PKR) continued its remarkable run by closing in green against the US dollar (USD) for the 86th consecutive day on Friday, gaining a marginal one paisa to settle at 279.86. This ongoing strength underscores the currency’s unusual stability amid global and domestic financial fluctuations.

The government has decided to abandon plans to outsource the management and operations of Islamabad International Airport to the United Arab Emirates after Abu Dhabi expressed no interest in advancing the proposal. Following this development, the airport will now be included in the active privatization list, drawing on the government’s recent experience with the privatization of Pakistan

Oil prices surged on Friday following the seizure of a Russian tanker carrying crude oil by French authorities in the Mediterranean Sea, raising concerns about potential supply disruptions. Market sentiment was further supported by renewed warnings from US President Donald Trump against Iran in the event of any interference with global oil shipments. Additional supply constraints emerged due to